Besides coming in many varieties, from oranges to pomelo, citrus fruits also offer a number of health benefits. Here is a list of reasons why you should include citrus fruits in your diet.
Citrus fruits are not only tasty and beautiful because of their mostly bright colors. Sweet fruits bring cheerfulness during gloomy winter days, but also numerous health benefits. This class of fruit includes lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit, as well as a number of hybrids and varieties. They have many health benefits, from boosting immunity to fighting cancer.
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Citrus fruits grow on flowering trees and shrubs. They are native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and probably Southeast Asia, and today they are grown in tropical and subtropical climates around the world.
Major production centers include Spain, Brazil, China, USA, Mexico and India.
It is interesting that almost a third of all citrus fruits are used to make juices. The good thing is that you can find all kinds of citrus throughout the year. The peak season for oranges and grapefruit in the Northern Hemisphere is between mid-December and April.
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What they have in common is that they are all rich in vitamins and herbal compounds that are beneficial for health.
Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and keeps the skin smooth and elastic.
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According to some sources, just one medium orange has all the vitamin C you need for the day.
Citrus fruits also have enviable amounts of other vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function properly, including B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and copper.
In addition, they are rich in plant compounds that have various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
These compounds include over 60 types of flavonoids, carotenoids and essential oils, and are responsible for many of the health benefits of citrus fruits.
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Citrus fruits are a good source of fiber. Just one cup of orange slices contains four grams of fiber.
Fiber has several health benefits, including improving digestion and helping with weight loss.
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Oranges are especially rich in soluble fiber, a type of fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels.
Compared to other fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits are also unique in that they have a higher ratio of soluble to insoluble fiber.
If you watch your calorie intake, citrus fruits are a good choice for you. They are low in calories, but their water and fiber content helps fill you up.
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A 2015 study that looked at people’s eating habits and weight over 24 years found that eating citrus fruits was associated with weight loss.
Citrus fruits can reduce the risk of kidney stones.
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Kidney stones are actually mineral crystals that cause tremendous pain. They can form when your urine is very concentrated or when you have large amounts of minerals that form stones in your urine.
One type of kidney stone is caused by low levels of citrate in the urine.
Many fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, can increase the level of citrate in the urine, reducing the risk of kidney stones.
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Drinking citrus juices and eating this fruit can offer a natural alternative to potassium citrate supplements.
According to data on American eating habits over the last 40 years, kidney stones are more common in people who eat less citrus.
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Many studies have linked citrus fruits to a reduced risk of certain cancers.
In one study, people who ate one grapefruit or drank one serving of grapefruit juice per day had a lower risk of lung cancer.
Other studies suggest that citrus fruits may also protect against esophageal, stomach, breast, and pancreatic cancer.
These studies were published by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, and are recognized by the US National Institutes of Health.
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These fruits contain many plant compounds, including flavonoids, which may help protect against cancer.
Some of these flavonoids act as antioxidants and can block the expression of certain genes that are responsible for some degenerative diseases, including cancer.
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Eating citrus fruits can be good for heart function. A Japanese study found that people who ate higher amounts of this fruit had lower rates of heart disease and stroke.
Moreover, a 2017 research review suggests that grapefruit is associated with a reduction in systolic blood pressure.
Several compounds in citrus fruits may improve markers of heart health.
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For example, their soluble fiber and flavonoids can improve cholesterol levels by raising “good” HDL cholesterol and lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
And many of the flavonoids in citrus fruits, including one called naringin, are powerful antioxidants that help the heart in several ways.
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The flavonoids in citrus can help protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which result from the breakdown of cells in the nervous system. In part, these diseases are caused by inflammatory processes.
The flavonoids found in citrus fruits have anti-inflammatory abilities that are thought to help protect against the chain of events that cause the nervous system to deteriorate.
Specific types of flavonoids, including hesperidin and apigenin, have been shown to protect brain cells and improve brain function in mice and in laboratory studies and experiments.
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Several studies in older adults have also shown that citrus juices can improve brain function.
Although the overall picture for citrus is quite rosy, there are several potential downsides.
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Large amounts of citrus in the diet can cause tooth decay, because the acid in citrus fruits erodes tooth enamel.
Interestingly, certain compounds in citrus peels can fight bacteria in dental cavities, although more research is needed to see how this information can be used.
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Also, while orange and grapefruit juices contain plenty of vitamin C and other nutrients often found in whole citrus fruits, juices aren’t quite as healthy. That’s because a serving of juice provides much more sugar and much less fiber than a serving of whole fruit.
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That’s why drinking fruit juices and other high-calorie drinks can lead to weight gain.
If more fructose reaches the liver than it can process, it turns some of the extra fructose into fat. Over time, these fat deposits can cause fatty liver disease.
One had clementine: 35
One medium orange: 62
Half of a red grapefruit: 52
Polovina belog grapefruit: 39
Juice of one lemon: 12
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Getting fructose from whole fruit is not a problem, since you get a smaller amount at a time. Additionally, the fiber found in fruit buffers fructose, causing it to be absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream.
Another important thing to keep in mind when it comes to citrus is that grapefruit can interact with certain medications.
There is an enzyme in the intestines that reduces the absorption of certain drugs. Furanocoumarin, a chemical in grapefruit, binds to this enzyme and prevents it from working.
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Furanocoumarin is also found in Seville oranges (the type most often used for marmalade), and among the drugs that should not be combined with grapefruit are some anti-hypertensives, certain antidepressants…
Source: www.sitoireseto.com
